Marching Terms Dictionary

The definitions below are only the
specialized terms for the marching activity.

Accent:The special
emphasis or stress applied to a note or beat in the music.

Alignment:Straight lines
in ranks, files and diagonals.

As You Were:Oral command
that tells the group: Cancel the last command.

At Ease:Oral command that
tells the group: Keep the right foot in place and remain silent. Other movement
is allowed.

At Rest:Oral command that
tells the group: They may move about and talk, but must remain in the area.
(Same as Stand Easy)

Attention:The motionless,
silent, waiting for the next command while standing with heels together, back
straight, correct instrument carriage.

Backwards...March:Oral
command that tells the group: Begin marching in the direction of your back.

Band Block:The formation
of a marching band, usually used while parade marching. The files and ranks are
evenly spaced setting the band up in a large rectangle formation.

Battery:Drum section that
marches on the field as a group. The Battery usually consists of snare drums,
bass drums, tenor drums, and cymbals.

Box (The Box):A slang term
for the judge's box at the top of the football stadium.

Cadence:The tempo, or
number of beats per minute. Also a drum beat used while marching.

Carriage:How a person
carries their body.

Cleaning:Slang term that
means to make each movement well defined and precise. Each has a definite point
where the movement starts, changes and stops.

Color Guard:Originally the
armed guards who protected the U.S. Flag (the Colors). Since drum and bugle
corps evolved from the military, they also carried colors and had a guard. As
drum corps got more elaborate, the color guard began to include teams of rifle
spinners, tall flag performers and dance teams. The name is still used for
these teams by drum corps and corps styled bands, even though the national flag
is rarely used in performance.

Company Front:A formation
where the entire band or corps is in one large line, marching side by side.

Counter March:A precise
drill that has the band turn, rank by rank, and march the other direction.

Cover:Straight line in a
column or file, aligned on the front person.

Cover Down:Oral command
that tells the group: Straighten the column or file.

Diagonals:The 45 degree lines established by the band
block.

Dismissed:Oral command
that tells the group: They are released from the rehearsal or drill.

Distance:Spacing between
individuals front to back.

Double Time:A step where
the band members moves at twice the speed of the music or cadence. It is also
is a command that tells the group to move at twice their current tempo.

Down Beat:A musical term
used in conducting to identify the first beat of a measure of music.

Dress:Straight line in a
rank, aligned on either the left, center or right person.

"Dress Left/Center/Right...Dress":

Oral command that tells the group: Straighten the rank to the
center person. Usually the instruments are raised to the playing position, and
each person's head snaps towards the alignment point. This may be done in
either one or two counts. Members then dress the rank. The command is called,
"Dress - Center - Dress." To return to their original position, "Ready
- Front" is called.

Drum Line:The field drums
collected together in a single marching unit. This unit often includes; snare
drums, tenors, bass drums, cymbals and/or timpani. The drum line is most often
used by drum and bugle corps and corps-styled marching bands.

Drum Major:A person who
leads a marching band or drum & bugle corps.

Eight and Eights:A
training drill that is used to develop a smooth marching stride. The student
marks time for eight counts and then forward marches for eight counts. This is
done while holding a glass of water filled almost to the brim. To pass, the
student must complete ten sets of "eight and eights" in a row without
spilling any water.

Eight to Five:Marching at
a stride of eight steps to five yards (22.5" stride).

Execution:How well or
precisely something is done. This is often a key part of a judge's evaluation
for the performance.

Execution Command:The last
part of a command that tells the band to do the movement. It follows a
preparation command.

Expansion:Movement which
produces larger intervals between members.

Face:

Fall In:Oral command that
tells the group: to get into a formation. example: "Fall in... at the
beginning of the show."

Fall Out:Oral command that
tells the group: to leave a formation. example: "Fall out...and go into
the band room."

Field Show:A performance
done by the marching band on a football field. It may or may not, be done
during the half-time of a football game.

File:Two or more people
standing behind on another. (Same as Column.)

Follow the Leader:Movement
including a lead performer marching a specified pattern with the remaining
performers following the same path.

Glide Step:A gliding style
of marching where the leg swings forward, (similar to a walking step) the heel
contacts first, and the weight is smoothly rolled to the toe.

Guide:Correcting the
alignment of the ranks, files or diagonals while moving.

Guiding on the Diagonals:Aligning the position of a band member by matching the 45 degree lines
set up by the band block.

Ictus:(In music) the
stress or accent marking the rhythm. (In conducting) the movement made by the
conductor's hands or baton to show the accent of each beat. (In drum majoring)
the movement made by the baton or mace to show the accent of each beat.

In-Place Turns:A marching
movement where the person rotates either right or left while marking time. This
usually takes four counts to turn 90 degrees for a slow turn and four counts to
turn 180 degrees for a fast turn. (Same as Rotations)

Interval:The distance
between two people standing side by side.

Leg Lift Step:A high-knee
style of marching where the leg lifts with the foot coming to the opposite knee
and then comes down to the ground. The toe of the foot contacts first and the
weight is then rolled to the entire foot.

Mace:A traditional
British/Scottish staff carried by a drum major. A mace is usually about 60
inches long. The shaft is made of Malacca cane, wood or fiberglass, is about
one inch thick and tapers down to a metal tip called a ferrule. There is a
hollow, decorative metal ball or crown at the top.

Moving Gate:A line or
curve which rotates around a moving point at the end of the form.

Oblique Shift:Movement at
a specified angle with the upper body remaining to the front. This movement can
be done either backward or forward.

Oral Command:A spoken
instruction given to the band. It has two parts, the preparation, which tells
the band what to do, and the execution, which tells the band to do the command.
It is said loudly and clearly so the entire group can understand the command.
Palm

Parade Rest:A relaxed
position of attention. Usually done with left foot moving about 18 inches to
the left. Instrument/hand positions vary between bands.

Pit (The Pit)A slang term
for the percussion equipment and players who do not march on the field, but are
stationary on the sideline. This also describes the area where those percussion
instruments are set.

Preparation Command:The first
part of a command that tells the band what they are about to do. It is followed
by the execution command.

Preparatory Beat:The rest
just before the first note to be played by the band. It allows the band to take
a starting breath, and it indicates the tempo and style of the music.

Rank:Two or more people
standing side by side.

Ready...Front:Oral command
that tells the group: Move from the dress position back to facing front.
Example: "Dress Center Dress........Ready, Front".

Release:A signal that
tells the band to stop playing. (Same as Cut Off)

ResetA direction that
tells the group to return to an early point and get ready to do the action
again. Example: "Reset to the start of the show."

Reshape:Movement during
the formation constantly changes. Step size will vary during the movement. All
performers will complete the movement at the same time.

Roll Around: A smooth change of direction as opposed to a one
count flank.

Roll Off:A drum cadence
that tells the band to play.

Rotation:For an
individual: Person turns either right or left while marking time. This usually
takes four counts to turn 90 degrees for a slow turn and four counts to turn
180 degrees for a fast turn. For marching band movement: A gate or wheel of an
entire formation with the shape remaining consistent.

Salute:To show respect or
show honor by some formal act. This may be a hand salute as in the military or
a salute done with the baton or mace.

Show:Another term for a
performance. "The Show" is usually a slang term for a band or drum
major's field performance. Example: "What is the theme for the Show this
year?"

Showmanship:The overall
effect created by the performance, the originality displayed and how well the
performers "sell" their performance to the audience. It is also the
name of the judging caption that evaluates the band's showmanship.

Slide Marching:A style of
marching where the band member marches in one direction and twists the upper
body so they can play in another. (Same as Twist or Shift Marching.)